DFH-Stipendiatin Lisanne Teil 10

Zehnter Monat - Québec, Canada Day in Ottawa, Fun & Friends und Abschied von Kanada

Unbelievable. Indeed my last month in Canada. Knowing that I was going to leave Canada soon, I wanted to spend a lot of time with my friends. So in between their studying for the exams, their jobs and projects and my packing and planning, I managed to see a lot of them.

I remember Joanna, showing me pictures of the Ukraine, her home, and biking through the neighborhood on only one bike.

I still remember Clara and I going to a "jungle", which we discovered after our exams in the midst of our city, our dancing and fooling around and our endless dreaming about travelling the world! Clara is such a special person and she was my best friend in Canada. The harder it was to say good bye to her, even though it still felt so unreal for both of us! But for sure it was sad, especially because we don't know when we're gonna see each other again!

It is just the worst thing saying bye to people, not knowing if you're ever gonna see them again!

I had a really great time with my youth group when we went to a cottage all together. We had so much fun tubing, splashing through the high waves in a tube behind the boat. Sitting at the bonfire at night, listening to music and talking a walk through the forest, filled with fireflies, listening to the boys‘ rap battles. Another weekend I went to Sudbury with the other youth group, where, after a 5 hour drive, we went to a beach, which was surrounded by beautiful rocks. I had such a fun time with all the girls in our room, joking and laughing all night long. One day I was finally able to play the really cool and famous game: Water Melon Football! I've heard so much about it and it was actually as much fun as it sounded! The game is played in the pool and it works in two teams who try to secretly get the "ball", a water melon greased in vaseline, to the other side of the pool. Doesn't sound that hard, eh? But the problem is, there are no rules about pushing people under water, jumping on people etc., which means it's VERY violent! But so much fun! :D

I have to say, I was so blessed by what kind of host family I had! Not only that they were super nice to me, cared for me and made me feel loved, they even took me on a huge trip, before I went back to Germany! Yes, we drove 12 hours, which indeed weren't actually THAT bad, to make our way to go whale watching in Québec! It was sooo beautiful and even during the car ride I was stunned by the incredible nature surrounding us, perfectly created by God, whose greatness is just too much for my little comprehension!

It was a really great time with my host family, we had so much fun camping in their awesome trailer! Having bonfires, catching baby duckies, finding shortcuts through the forest, visiting the cutest French towns, going hiking near the ocean on those endless, beautiful rock beaches and of course:

WHALE WATCHING! I had never seen whales before, not even in zoos or anything like that and it was SUCH a great experience for me!! With a smell of salt in the air we left the shore, making our way through the cold wind, hitting our faces, waiting patiently for the whales to show up... And the waiting was so worth it!It was unbelievable to see those giant whales swimming ride at the side of our tiny boat and everyone shouting out of excitement! It was just amazing! So heart moving! I don't know why, but I had the feeling that these whales seem so peaceful, so contented and so happy with themselves, exactly how they are! There's nothing they need, other than what they have and always had! They don't need fame, they don't need fashion, technology, money... anything! They are happy! Thinking about that just filled me with perfect peace... I want to become more like them! What is so hard about it? Why can't we just be happy with who we are and what God has given us?

The capital!! I am so happy that I didn't fly home earlier, but that I was able to take part in one real Canada Day and feel like one of them: A Canadian! :)The day started at a trailer park with putting on a bunch of Canada tattoos and then we all went to the centre of Ottawa, in the midst of crowds of people! It was so great to be in a big city again :D We went to a really big concert, where I had so much fun with my host siblings and their friends! We were singing and dancing like we were crazy and we got a lot of views of others, but it was just so much fun!